1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to improvements in paddle handle operating mechanisms for latches and locks of the general type that form the subject matter of the following patents (referred to hereinafter as the Paddle Handle Operating Mechanism Patents) , the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference, namely: U.S. Pat. No. 5,439,260 issued Aug. 8, 1995 to Lee S. Weinerman et al, entitled HANDLE OPERABLE ROTARY LATCH AND LOCK; U.S. Pat. No. 5,595,076 issued Jan. 21, 1997 to Lee S. Weinerman et al, entitled HANDLE OPERABLE TWO-POINT LATCH AND LOCK; U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,224 issued Mar. 18, 1997 to Lee S. Weinerman et al, entitled HANDLE OPERABLE ROTARY LATCH AND LOCK; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,884,948 issued Mar. 23, 1999 to Lee S. Weinerman et al, entitled ROTARY LATCH AND LOCK. More particularly, the present invention relates to a more versatile form of paddle handle operating mechanism to which linkage may be connected for operating one or a plurality of remotely located latch assemblies, with the operating mechanism including, if desired, a lock that also may be accompanied by a handle disconnect mechanism.
2. Prior Art
Flush mountable, paddle-handle operated latches and locks are known that employ rotary latch bolts, also referred to as xe2x80x9crotary jaws,xe2x80x9d wherein the jaws are provided with U-shaped strike-receiving notches for latchingly receiving and releasably retaining suitably configured strike formations. Disclosures of latch and/or lock units of this type are found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,320,642 issued Mar. 23, 1982 to John V. Pastva, Jr., entitled PADDLE LOCKS WITH HANDLE DISCONNECT FEATURES; U.S. Pat. No. 4,917,412 issued Apr. 17, 1990 to Jye P. Swan et al, entitled VEHICLE DOOR LOCK SYSTEM PROVIDING A PLURALITY OF SPACED ROTARY LATCHES; U.S. Pat. No. 4,896,906 issued Jan. 30, 1990 to Lee S. Weinerman et al entitled VEHICLE DOOR LOCK SYSTEM; and, U.S. Pat. No. 5,069,491 issued Dec. 3, 1991 to Lee S. Weinerman et al entitled VEHICLE DOOR LOCK SYSTEM (referred to hereinafter as the Heavy Duty Rotary Latch and Lock Patents), the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The rotary latch and/or lock units that are disclosed in the Heavy Duty Rotary Latch and Lock Patents are of a relatively heavy duty type that often are employed in xe2x80x9cpersonnel restraint applications,xe2x80x9d typically on doors of passenger compartments of vehicles. These heavy duty units employ pairs of lousing-mounted rotary jaws, with the jaws being sandwiched between pairs of housing side plates, and with notches that are formed in each pair of rotary jaws being configured to receive and engage opposite sides of a suitably configured strike formation, typically a cylindrical stem of a striker pin. While both of the housing side plates are provided with U-shaped notches, neither of these notches defines a strike engagement surface that cooperates with a notched rotary jaw to latchingly receive and releasably retain a strike formation. The notches that are formed in the jaws, not the notches that are formed in the housing side plates, receive, engage and latchingly retain suitably configured strike formations.
Lighter duty rotary latch and lock units that employ single rotary jaws also are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,312,203 issued Jan. 26, 1982 to Edwin W. Davis entitled FLUSH-MOUNTABLE LOCK WITH ACTUATOR DISCONNECT FEATURE (referred to hereinafter as the Lighter Duty Rotary Latch and Lock Patent) discloses 1) the use of a single rotary latch jaw that is nested within and supported by portions of the housing of a flush mountable paddle-handle assembly, and 2) the use of a single U-shaped housing-carried notch that cooperates with the U-shaped notch formed in a rotary jaw to receive and latchingly retain a generally cylindrical strike formation. The disclosure of the Lighter Duty Rotary Latch and Lock Patent also is incorporated herein by reference.
So-called xe2x80x9cpaddle handle operating mechanismsxe2x80x9d having flush-mountable, recess-defining, pan-shaped housings often are designed to accommodate a particular type of latch or a particular arrangement of remotely located latches. The limited amount of space that tends to be available for mounting these operating mechanisms within the confines of thin cabinet doors and the like has stood as an obstacle to the design of a versatile paddle handle operating mechanism that can be used with a wide variety of link-connected remotely located latches.
While manufacturers of paddle handle operating mechanisms have recognized the desirability of offering full-featured units (incorporating such options as xe2x80x9cdisconnectsxe2x80x9d for preventing handle movement from causing other operating components to move when the unit is locked) with a plurality of linkage connection points that will accommodate links coupled to a variety of arrays of remotely located latches, the constraints of available space have obstructed efforts to accommodate this objective. The need to minimize the thickness of the operating mechanisms (so they will fit within the confines of thin closures) is one such constraint. Others include a need to confine the operating components within the xe2x80x9cfootprintxe2x80x9d of the generally rectangular pan-shaped housings on which the operating components are mounted so that the operating components can be inserted through rectangular door panel openings at the locations where the paddle handle operating mechanisms are to be mounted on closures.
If a paddle handle operating mechanism is to operate a pair of latches located on opposite sides of the mechanism (i.e., spaced from opposite sides or from opposite ends of the generally rectangular housing of the mechanism), connection points need to be provided near opposite sides of a centrally pivoted connection member so that the oppositely extending links (which extend in opposite directions from the connection member to operate the latches) will move substantially equidistantly in opposite directions when the latches are to be concurrently unlatched. The space that is needed to accommodate link-to-connection-member couplings is the same space that is competed for by other operating components that must be kept thin and held substantially within the footprint of the housing.
Attempting to use an existing paddle handle operating mechanism (that has been designed to accommodate one arrangement of remotely located latches) with a new arrangement of remotely located latches may result in non-concurrent latch operation and/or nonequidistant movement of the links that connect latches to the mechanism. This may cause one or both of the remotely located latches to fail to operate, to operate improperly or to be unduly stressed, with resulting damage and/or reduction in service life. A paddle handle operating mechanism that is provided with connections for links that operate a pair of remote latches located above and below the handle mechanism (i.e., spaced from opposite ends of the generally rectangular housing of the mechanism) may not be suited for operating a pair of remote latches located to the left and right of the handle mechanism (i.e., spaced from opposite sides of the generally rectangular housing of the mechanism), and seldom will be well suited for operating a pair of remote latches in a right-angle array wherein one of the latches is located above or below the handle mechanism, and another is located to the left or right of the handle mechanism.
Thus size constraints and other applicable design considerations have significantly obstructed efforts to provide a full-featured paddle handle operating mechanism with a pivoted connection member that defines a generous array of link connection points that are well suited for use with a good variety of link-operated latch arrays, including latch arrays having at least a pair of latches that are located on opposite sides of the paddle handle operating mechanism that are operated by links that move in opposite directions when the connection member pivots.
The present invention provides improvements that relate to paddle handle operating mechanisms of the type that are disclosed in the Paddle Handle Operating Mechanism Patents for operating latches and lock mechanisms of a variety of forms, such as those that are disclosed in all of the above-identified patents.
One of the improvements provided in accordance with the preferred practice of the present invention is a so-called xe2x80x9cuniversal connection platexe2x80x9d to which a variety of simple and/or elaborate linkages may attach to drivingly connect the operating mechanism to one or a plurality of remotely located latch assemblies. The universal connection plate has a centrally located mounting hole that receives a support pin that mounts the connection plate for pivotal movement about a pivot axis that extends centrally through the mounting hole.
A feature of the universal connection plate is the novel arrangement of link connection points that it defines. Stated in another way, the connection plate is provided with a novel arrangement of strategically located connection formations such as holes. Elongate links can be connected to the connection plate at the locations of these holes to drivingly couple the connection plate to remotely located latches for operating the latches in response to pivotal movement of the connection plate about its pivot axis from a non-operated orientation to an operated orientation in response to pivoting of the handle of the operating mechanism from a non-operated position to an operated position.
A universal connection plate that embodies the preferred practice of the invention defines at least four connection formations, such as holes. First and second ones of these four connection formations are positioned generally on opposite sides of the pivot axis for connecting with and for oppositely moving a first pair of elongate opposed links for operating a first pair of latches that are spaced from opposite ends of the generally rectangular housing of the paddle handle operating mechanism. Third and fourth ones of these four connection formations are positioned generally on opposite sides of the pivot axis for oppositely moving a second pair of elongate opposed links for operating a second pair of latches that are spaced from opposite sides of the generally rectangular housing of the paddle handle operating mechanism.
In order to ensure that all four of the links that connect with the connection formations are caused to move substantially equidistantly in response to pivotal movement of the connection plate, it is optimal: 1) for the first and second connection formations to be located along an imaginary first line that intersects the pivot axis; 2) for the third and fourth connection formations to be located along an imaginary second line that intersects the pivot axis; 3) for all four of the connection formations to be located equidistantly from the pivot axis; and, 4) for the imaginary first and second lines to intersect substantially at right angles at the location of the pivot axis. While this very simple optimal approach can sometimes be utilized in laying out connection formation locations on a pivotal connection plate, it often is found that connection point locations laid out in this optimal way cause one or more of the connection points to be situated in precisely the same space that needs to be occupied by other more position-critical components of the operating position, or in space that needs to be kept open for required movements of such components.
Connection points defined by a universal connection plate must not be located within substantially the same space that needs to be occupied by other more critically positioned operating components of a full-function paddle handle operating mechanism. Moreover, in determining where connection points are to be located, it must be kept in mind that the link-to-plate connection-defining elements that will be installed at the selected connection point locations require substantial amounts of free space to accommodate their size and to accommodate the range of movements that they execute when the connection plate pivots about its pivot axis. Often optimal layouts of connection points simply are not acceptable, and at least one of the optimal connection point locations requires significant repositioning.
The present invention takes into account such design considerations and commonly encountered problems as are described above, and provides an approach that can be utilized to equip existing and new types of compactly-designed, full-featured paddle handle operating mechanisms with universal connection plates that have connection formation arrays that can operate 1) a first set of oppositely acting links for releasing latches spaced from opposite ends of the rectangular housing of the paddle handle operating mechanism, and 2) a second set of oppositely acting links for releasing latches spaced from opposite sides of the rectangular housing of the paddle handle operating mechanism, with all four of the links being moved substantially equidistantly to effect proper concurrent latch operation in response to pivotal movement of the connection plate from a non-operated orientation to an operated orientation in response to movement of the handle from a non-operated position to an operated position.
As will be explained in greater detail later herein, in accordance with the preferred practice of the present invention, a novel array of connection formations are provided on universal connection plates to define a plurality of connection points for lengthy links that can be used to couple the connection plates to various arrays of remotely located latches. By limiting the ranges of angular movement of the connection plates, and by using links that are relatively lengthy (in comparison with the distances of the connection points from the pivot axes of the connection plates), it is possible to simplify the way in which connection point locations are chosen so that connection plates of a variety of configurations can be provided that will accommodate the presence of other components and that will permit existing and new types of paddle handle operating mechanisms to be equipped with a universal connection plate while still complying with use space restrictions, and without sacrificing the degree of link connection versatility that is offered by the connection plates.
A feature of a universal connection plate that embodies the preferred practice of the invention, resides in its definition of pairs of linkage connection holes that are arranged xe2x80x9csubstantially symmetricallyxe2x80x9d (but not necessarily xe2x80x9cexactly symmetricallyxe2x80x9d) on opposite sides of the centrally located pivot axis of the connection plate. The linkage connection holes define xe2x80x9cconnection formationsxe2x80x9d for receiving pins that pivotally couple the connection plate to elongate links that typically extend in opposite directions and/or in right angle orientations away from the pivot axis for operating pairs or groups of latch mechanisms that are located on opposite sides of and/or in right angle relationships relative to the paddle handle operating mechanism. By properly positioning the connection holes, the links that couple with the connection plate can be made to move concurrently through substantially equal distances (measured along their lengths) to properly and concurrently operate latches that are connected to these links.
Still another feature that adds versatility resides in the provision of a paddle handle operating mechanism that permits a very basic, straight-forward type of operating linkage for drivingly connecting the pivotal paddle handle with the universal connecting plate to be replaced, if desired, by a more full-featured paddle handle operating mechanism that incorporates a xe2x80x9chandle disconnectxe2x80x9d feature for disconnecting the universal connection plate from the paddle handle when the lock is xe2x80x9clockedxe2x80x9d to prevent efforts to force the paddle handle from succeeding in unlatching the remotely positioned latch assemblies in response to unlatching movement of the connection plate.
In accordance with preferred practice, if a operating handle mechanism is to include a handle disconnect feature, the type of operating handle disconnect linkage that is employed preferably is of the general type disclosed in the referenced First and Second Disconnect Cases, and the previously mentioned provisional application that addressed these same inventions, namely application Serial No. 60/115,797.